Saving the best for last? JB Somers, a singer from Alabama, showed up near the end of the blind auditions for Season 23 of “The Voice.” Teams were nearly set and the four celebrity coaches were making their final picks with extra care on the NBC reality series.

But when Somers appeared on the March 20 episode, singing a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You,” Kelly Clarkson turned her chair around with lightning speed, signaling that she wanted him for Team Kelly.

“God, I just love that you did Joni,” Clarkson said. “Like, your tone is incredible.”

Chance the Rapper also turned his chair around for Somers, although it took him a little longer. Per “Voice” rules, the singer was allowed to choose between the two coaches.

Clarkson and Chance heaped on the praise for Somers’ performance, predicting that he would end up in the season finals.

“When I turned around first — do you remember that time? — when I turned around, it was even more beautiful to watch you perform it,” Clarkson said. “You just, like, exude so much empathy and emotion, just all of it. And then your eyes were closed for a lot of it, but it was cool, because it was intimate. I would love to have you on my team. I have no one like you on my team. You are going to make it to the finale, regardless of which team you’re choosing here. It is a beautiful gift that you’ve been given.”

Then it was Chance’s turn to advocate for Somers.

“I really want you on my team. It did take me a little while to turn around, because of how particular I am about hearing people cover Joni Mitchell,” Chance said. “Really, I was just waiting to hear your high register. That’s one of the things I respected the most about your performance. You were just dynamically showing us your different ranges, and your approach to it was just very strategic. … JB, one of my very good friends covered that same Joni Mitchell song. And his initials are JB: James Blake. I’d love to give you the platform to be able to just be you on TV. But like Kelly said, whoever you go with, you’ll probably make it to the finale. For sure, if you get on Team Chance, though.”

Niall Horan proclaimed himself “an idiot” for not turning his chair for Somers. Blake Shelton said he didn’t turn “because I didn’t want to hear no.” The studio audience had a clear preference, chanting “Kelly! Kelly! Kelly!”

After a moment’s hesitation, Somers decided to go with Clarkson, prompting the star to scream, run to the stage and hug him.

Somers, 31, originally is from Montgomery. He now lives in Nashville and is forging a career as a pop/alternative singer-songwriter. His most recent single is “Build This Love.” Other songs by Somers include “They Say I’ve Changed,” “Leave It Behind,” “Feel It” and “There For Me.”

According to a 2022 story in People magazine, Somers grew up as the son of a pastor and was a worship leader in the youth group at his home church. After moving to Nashville, the report says, Somers came out as gay, and was inspired to make it public when he saw TJ Osborne of the Brothers Osborne come out in 2021.

“Watching him come out to the world struck a chord in me,” Somers told People. “I’m not country music per se, but I live in a town that is fully saturated with country music artists. And to see a guy who finds himself in a predominantly hetero art form come out made me think, ‘What in the world is keeping me from showing every piece of me?’”

On his website, Somers says he “aims to utilize his platform to encourage others to live freely and love every part of their identity and journey because everyone was created with a purpose.”

Somers joins three other singers from Alabama — Jerome Godwin III, Ryley Tate Wilson and D. Smooth — who are competing on “The Voice” this season. All have moved on to the battle rounds, where they’ll duet/duel with another contestant on their teams, vying to keep their spots in the competition.

Somers and D. Smooth are on Team Kelly; Godwin and Wilson are on Team Niall.

“The Voice” airs on NBC twice per week: Mondays at 7 p.m. CT and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. CT. Early episodes of the show are filmed in advance. Episodes featuring the battle rounds started this week, and will continue on April 3-4. None of the singers from our state have performed yet in the battles.

Alabama’s never had a winner on “The Voice,” but three singers from our state have made it to the finals: Dexter Roberts, who took third place on Season 16; Kirk Jay, who placed third on Season 15; and Red Marlow, who came in fourth during Season 13. Other “Voice” contestants from the state have included Berritt Haynes, Emma Caroline Warren, Levi Watkins, Cam Spinks, Josie Jones and Worth the Wait.

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